Panem University
by GCGirl4Life
Summary: "That had to be the cutest thing I've ever seen," Johanna cooed at me. I stuck my tongue out at her, but there was no doubting it: I was falling for Peeta Mellark. Not even a day into college at Panem University, Katniss Everdeen is already being pulled in different directions. And Peeta Mellark isn't making it any easier.
1. Chapter 1

Panem University is…unique I guess you could say. Our school had twelve majors, nicknamed Districts, with sub-majors in each category.

There was the Luxury Major, District 1, where the stuck up rich kids went and learned how to make shiny things or went into the family business. They all had stupid names too. Their parents must have been on crack when they named them. But that really wouldn't surprise me.

There was also the Masonry Major, District 2, where you learned how to make weapons and trains, and, for some reason, Criminal Justice. What Criminal Justice and becoming a police officer had to do with making trains was a mystery to me.

The Electronics Major, District 3, was similar to Masonry in some ways. They made a lot of cars and guns, but they also made, well, electronics. I know they had a Robot Fight Club, where they made robots out of whatever they could find and made them battle each other in makeshift arenas.

Fishing Majors, District 4. These were more of our athletes I guess you could say. A lot of these kids came from the coast and were on the swim team. They also knew how to make nets, fish hooks, and other fishing supplies.

Power Majors, District 5. I still can't figure out what they do, but all I know is they're clever little bastards.

Transportation Major, District 6, is pretty self-explanatory. But a little known secret is that most of them are drug addicts.

The Lumber Majors, District 7, were some scary ass mofos, pardon my French. But these kids made hatchets, axes, saws, et cetera. If it could cut down a tree, these kids knew how to make them. When I visited the school with my mom and sister, Prim, I noted to myself not to mess with them. I also crossed my fingers I didn't get one as a roommate anytime soon.

The Textile Major, District 8, made clothes mostly, but a lot of them made uniforms for our Police Academy kids in District 2.

District 9 were our Farming Majors. Need I say more? You get it, right?

District 10, our Livestock Majors, dealt with the livestock, like cows, pigs, and horses. A lot of kids from 9 and 10 got married after college. And bought – guess what – a farm! Imagine that!

Agriculture Majors, District 11, were the nicest of the bunch in my opinion. They worked with District 9 a lot, and learned how to grow things that grew on trees and out of the ground.

And then, there was my Major, District 12. We did things with coal. We were also the poor kids. If you came from a poor family, or a single parent home, they usually just stuck you in District 12. Since my dad died when I was little, when Prim was just starting kindergarten, my mom kind of went into a zombie-like state for a year, and we've been poor ever since. Even though she's gotten a job at the local doctor's office as a nurse, we're still poor. I pretty much raised Prim and taught her everything she knows. I got her ready for school, made her lunch, checked her homework, and picked her up after school once I was old enough and had a car (which I bought with my own money – savings bonds my dad had been giving me every year on my birthday).

But now, I've graduated high school, and Prim is starting high school. My best friend from back home and neighbor, Gale, promised me he would take her to school and pick her up every day, since he was staying home to start working in his family's business.

Today was move in day for the freshmen at Panem University, and I was dreading every second of it. Mom, Prim, and Gale were dropping me off and helping me unpack. Gale and I were in my car, and Mom and Prim were following us. I picked up my new student packet and keys from the main office, the Capitol it was called, and headed to the Resident Hall for frehsmen.

"I so don't want to do this,' I groaned as I parked my car outside the giant building. Gale laughed and opened his door.

"You'll be alright, Katnip," he said, using my nickname he'd given me when we were kids. "It's just college. What's the worst that could happen?"

"A lot!" I protested. He laughed again, and laughed even harder when I frowned at him and stomped over to the Resident Assistant standing outside the building with a clipboard. His name tag said "Haymitch."

"Name please?" he asked in a bored tone. I could smell the alcohol on his breath, causing me to wrinkle my nose.

"Katniss Everdeen," I replied, turning my head slightly so I wouldn't have to smell Vodka every time he talked to me.

"Room 74, first floor." I nodded my thanks and gestured for Gale to follow me. We headed inside and found my room down the long hallway. Inside were two beds, desks, chairs, a mounted bookshelf, and two closets with dressers and mirrors in them.

"Do you know who your roommate is?" Gale asked, setting down a box by the door.

"Uh…" I opened my packet and pulled out the residency information. "Jo…"

"Johanna Mason, at your service." I jumped and turned, the voice coming from behind me. In walked a girl wielding an axe and a duffel bag. Shit. A District 7. She dropped her stuff on the nearest bed, then turned and stuck out her hand. "And you are?"  
>"Katniss Everdeen," I said slowly, shaking her hand. "So you're a District 7?" I asked, gesturing to her axe.<p>

"Yup, this is my baby," she cooed, picking up her axe and spinning it around in her hand. She saw the look on my face and laughed. "Don't look so scared, it's so blunt I can't even cut bread with it. I've just had it since I was little, so I keep it around." She placed it back down on the bed, and strolled out the door. "I'll be right back, gotta get more of my stuff."

"Just my luck to get a 7 my freshmen year," I whispered to Gale. He nodded, and we began unpacking boxes just as Mom and Prim walked in.

"Nice room," Prim commented, setting down her box on my bed.

"Thanks, Little Duck," I said, grinning at her. She smiled and tucked the back of her shirt into her skirt, which she had a habit of forgetting to do, hence the nickname. For the next hour, we unpacked my boxes, hanging up clothes, making the bed, and decorating my half of the room. Johanna met my family and Gale when she came back in, and they seemed to like her. She kinda grew on me too.

"Wanna head to the cafeteria? I'm starved," Johanna stated, putting her axe in the closet.

"Sounds good to me," Gale grinned. "I can always eat."  
>"That's because you're a boy," I told him, nudging him in the ribs. The five of us walked to the cafeteria, and once we got inside, I saw how packed it was.<p>

"Dang, lots of freshmen this year," Johanna said. She shrugged, grabbed a tray, and headed off to the salad bar. We followed her lead, and walked around the cafeteria, looking at the different food options. I settled on a burger, waiting in line to grab one. Once the chef handed me my plate, I set it on my tray and turned around, and crashed right into somebody.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" A deep voice said. I couldn't see, due to the fact that my water had splashed into my eyes. And I knew my burger was down for the count, judging by the ketchup all down the front of my shirt and the scattered broken plate chips around my sprawled out body on the floor.

"It's okay," I sighed. I wiped my eyes on the sleeve of my shirt. "It happens."  
>"It's not okay," the voice said, reaching down and taking my hand to pull me up. "I ruined your food and got it all over you." I looked up, and stopped, startled. Staring back at me were the prettiest eyes I'd ever seen under a mop of blonde hair.<p>

"Uh, no, seriously, it's okay," I mumbled, blushing. He handed me a napkin, and I wiped off the front of my shirt.

"Here, take mine," he said, picking up my tray and balancing it in his hand. He held out his tray, which had an identical burger on it. "I'll take your tray and go get a fresh one."  
>"Oh, no, you don't have to do that!" I protested. He smiled softly at me.<p>

"I insist." I looked back into his mesmerizing eyes, and nodded.

"Alright," I said. I think if he had told me to jump off the top of the building I would have done it. He tucked my tray under his arm and held out his hand.

"Peeta Mellark," he grinned.

"Katniss Everdeen," I said, shaking his hand.

"Well, Katniss, is it okay if I join you for lunch?" I nodded quickly, and he laughed. "Alright, cool. I'll be right over." He headed off to the burger bar, and I watched him go. I had to mentally slap myself to stop staring at his butt, and went to sit down. Mom, Prim, Gale, and Johanna were already sitting down eating.

"Katniss, what happened to your shirt?" Mom asked.

"I bumped into this guy and my food fell all over me," I explained. "But he was really nice about it and gave me his food. He's going to come join us for lunch. Is that okay?"

"Of course." Peeta chose that moment to walk up, and slid into the seat next to me.

"Hi, you must be Katniss' Mom," Peeta said, holding out his hand to my mom. "I'm Peeta Mellark."

"Oh _you're _Peeta!" she exclaimed. "Your family owns the bakery in our town!"

"Yup, Mellark Bakery," he laughed. "I worked there after school and during the summer." It suddenly hit me who he was.

One day, during a rainy summer night, I was wandering the streets, looking for food. We didn't have enough money for dinner, and Mom was still in her zombie-state. I collapsed against the back wall of the bakery, next to the dumpster, cold, tired, hungry, and weak.

"PEETA! You burned the bread!" I heard a shrill voice cry. I heard a slap, and heard someone say "ow!" "Go throw it away out back! You know we can't afford to burn anything this month! We're short on funds!"

"I said I was sorry Mom!"

"Well pay attention next time, instead of daydreaming out the window!" The back door opened, and a boy stepped out, holding a basket of half burned loafs. He was grumbling to himself and opening the dumpster lid, when he saw me. I looked back at him, my eyes wide. I was about to scurry away, when he looked at the open door, then reached into the basket and handed me a few of the loafs. He smiled softly and nodded, threw the rest away, then ran back inside. I was stunned for a moment before standing up and running all the way home so the bread wouldn't get soaked. That night, we had grilled cheese sandwiches with the bread he'd given me, and had enough left over for toast and jelly the next morning. He'd kept us alive that night.

I snapped out of my flashback, and listened in on the conversation.

"I'm in District 12 too, up on the boy's floor," Peeta said, taking a bite of his burger. He chewed and swallowed. "But I really don't want to work with coal. I love the family business. I was thinking of joining the Student Government Association and starting a new Major for people who don't want to fit the mold. Could call it District 13."

"That sounds like a good idea," Mom said, nodding at him and smiling. "I hope you're very successful with that."

"Thanks." He turned to me. "What are you interested in Katniss?"

"Oh, um," Have you noticed whenever somebody asks you what you like to do for fun, you sounds like the most boring person on the face of the Earth? "I like archery."

"That's cool. You any good with a bow and arrow?"

"Good? She's excellent!" Gale interjected. "We've gone hunting a couple times, and she's a perfect shot. Gets 'em right in the eye."

"Thank you, Gale," I said, giving him a look that said "You need to shut the hell up right now." He nodded quickly and ducked his head, becoming very interested in what was on his salad.

We all talked for the rest of lunch, until it was time for Mom, Prim, and Gale to head back home. They each gave me a hug and assured me I'd be great. I said goodbye to Peeta, and Johanna and I headed back to our room.

"You going to the Freshmen Social tonight?" she asked me, flopping down on her bed.

"There's a Social?"

"Didn't you read the Week of Events?"

"No."

"Well, if you had, you would've known that," she laughed. "Let's go. I bet there will be a lot of people there. We'll have fun."

"I don't know."

"I bet Peeta will go." I shot her a surprised look. "Oh don't look so surprised, Katniss. It's obvious you like him."

"I do not!" I protested.

"Then what was with the glazed look earlier?"  
>"I was remembering her gave me bread one night when I was hungry. It didn't click until then."<p>

"Oh, okay," Johanna shrugged. "But anyways, you wanna go?"

"Sure."

We both took a nap, then got showered and changed for the Social.

"Katniss!" Johanna whined. "You can't wear that to a Social!" I looked down at my dark jeans and simple shirt with combat boots.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Don't you know what a Social is?" I shook my head. "It's a dance!" My mouth dropped open in shock.  
>"I don't know how to dance!"<p>

"You don't have to. Most people just socialize, hence why they call it a Social. But you need to wear something cute."

"But Johanna!"

"No buts! Back in the closet!" She pointed at it with a finger, and I sighed. I skimmed through my clothes until I found a one shoulder red dress. I slipped it on after discarding the jeans and shirt, and put on a pair of black heels.

"Better?" I asked, stepping out. Johanna was a long sleeved gold dress.

"Perfect! Let's go!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me all the way to the dance hall where the Social was. Music was already blaring from the speakers, and people were filtering inside.

"Damn, how many kids go to this school?" I asked.

"It's the only University in the state, so a lot," Johanna explained. We went inside, and headed for the drink table. We each grabbed a water, since we were too young to drink.

"Hey, look, there's Peeta," Johanna said, pointing towards the door. "Peeta!" she cried, waving her free arm in the air. Peeta looked over and smiled once he saw it was us.

"Hey Johanna, Katniss. You both look fantastic."

"Thanks. You look nice as well!" Johanna said. He really did, with a dark dress shirt and jeans. I guess guys could get away with it.

"You wanna dance Katniss?" Peeta asked as a slow song came on. I gulped and nodded slowly, and he took my hand, leading me to the floor. He pulled me into his arms and held my close, my head tucked under his chin. We swayed back and forth as Savage Garden sang around us.

"_Maybe it's intuition _

_But some things you just don't question_

_Like in your eyes_

_I see my future in an instant_

_And there it goes_

_I think I've found my best friend_

_I know that it might sound more than_

_A little crazy but I believe_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I think I dreamed you into life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I have been waiting all my life _

_There's just no rhyme or reason_

_Only this sense of completion_

_And in your eyes_

_I see the missing pieces_

_I'm searching for_

_I think I found my way home_

_I know that it might sound more than_

_A little crazy but I believe_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I think I dreamed you into life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I have been waiting all my life_

_A thousand angels dance around you_

_I am complete now that I found you_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I think I dreamed you into life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I have been waiting all my life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I think I dreamed you into life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I have been waiting all my life_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I knew I loved you_

_I knew I loved you before I met you_

_I knew I loved you_

_I knew I loved you before I met you…"_

As the song ended, Peeta pulled me back and smiled at me.

"Thanks for the dance, Katniss." He kissed my hand softly. "I'll be right back." He headed off into the crowd, and I scurried back to Johanna.

"That had to be the cutest thing I've ever seen," Johanna cooed at me. I stuck my tongue out at her, but there was no doubting it: I was falling for Peeta Mellark.


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright, class, I'm going to do a quick roll call," Professor Trinket said. I yawned and took a sip of my coffee. It was way too early, in my opinion, for Performing Arts class. Why I had decided to take a Performing Arts class I had no idea in hell why. But hey, at least it got my Creative Arts credit out of the way.

"Cashmere?" A pretty girl with long blonde hair raised her hand, a beauty pageant smile on her face. I rolled my eyes, taking another sip of my coffee. No doubt a 1.

"Gloss?" A boy version of Cashmere raised his hand. "Are you two twins?"

"No ma'am, we are siblings though, and we're very close in age," he said, smiling. Professor Trinket giggled and nodded.

"Very well. Welcome to Performing Arts." She went back to her list.

"Glimmer?" A girl raised her hand.

"Marvel?" Another boy.

"Clove?" Some snooty looking bitch playing with a pocket knife briefly raised her hand, then went back to flipping open and closing the knife. I scooted my chair a little closer to the door.

"Cato?" What the hell, do all these upper level District kids look like snooty assholes? This guy looked like he thought he walked on water.

"Enobaria?" Holy mother of God, I didn't know it was possible for a chick to have teeth that sharp.

"Brutus?" Just a big, muscular guy.

"Bettee? Wiress?" A man and woman raised their hands.

"Finnick?" A good looking guy raised his hand. He saw me looking and winked at me. I rolled my eyes and turned my head away. So full of himself.

"Oh, how do I pronounce this one?"

"Just call me Foxface," a girl piped up. "I know it's hard to pronounce."

"Alright, will do. Johanna?"

"Right here." I was so glad I knew someone in this class. I don't think I could make it the whole semester pretending I liked people.

"Blight?" Some dude with a beard raised his hand, then quickly lowered it.

"Cecilia?" A pretty girl.

"Rue?" A girl who looked like she was Prim's age raised her hand.

"Thresh?" Another big, muscular dude.

"And lastly, Katniss?" I raised my coffee free hand. At that moment, the door opened. In walked Peeta, his hair a little messy, with a backpack slung over one shoulder. He saw Professor Trinket and smiled.

"Sorry I'm late, Professor," he said. "I just got switched into the class a few minutes ago."

"That's quite alright. What's your name?"

"Peeta Mellark."

"Well, Peeta, welcome to Performing Arts. We're glad to have you." Peeta smiled again and nodded, then slipped into the seat next to me.

"Hey," he whispered, grinning. I smiled softly. "What are you doing here? Didn't take you for the Performing Arts type."

"I'm not," I laughed. He did too, until Professor Trinket coughed at us.

"Now, you may call me Effie. I think Professor Trinket is too formal." She then rambled on about the class procedures and what we'd be doing this year. I wasn't really paying attention until I heard her say "partner project."

"You may pick a partner to perform a scene from a Shakespeare classic. I'll give you a few minutes, then I'll need to know who is partnered with who, and what play you'll be doing." She turned away, and the class started conversing.

"So, Katniss, you wanna be partners?" Peeta asked, nudging me with his elbow. "I think it'll be fun."

"Uh…" I sat there for a minute, dumbstruck that the boy I had a huge crush on was asking me to be his partner. I quickly recovered and nodded. "Sure. What play were you thinking of?"

"_Romeo and Juliet _is my favorite," he said. I think I felt my heart stop. "You wanna grab lunch and then practice after class? I don't have any other classes today." I nodded enthusiastically, and he smiled great.

"Alright class, who has a partner and play ready?" Peeta and I raised our hands. "Ah, Katniss, working with Peeta?"

"Yes, Effie."

"And what play will you two be presenting to us?"

"_Romeo and Juliet,_" Peeta replied.

"Oh, my favorite!" Effie grinned. She wrote down our names, then continued on with the other pairs. Once we were dismissed, Peeta and I headed to the cafeteria for lunch. After a quick bite, we went to the library to print out the script.

"Which scene do you wanna do?" Peeta asked me, googling the script on the computer. I decided to be bold and see if he would agree with my suggestion.

"How about Act I, Scene V, where they meet for the first time?" I didn't mention that was also the kissing scene. He looked up at me and grinned.

"Perfect." He clicked print, and once he grabbed the papers off the printer, we headed back to my room, since Johanna had a class.

"Alright, so, I start right?" Peeta asked, shrugging off his jacket and picking up his script. I nodded, and he cleared his throat, sitting next to me on my bed.

"_If I profane with my unworthiest hand_

_This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:_

_My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand_

_To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss._" This boy had the smoothest, sexiest Shakespearian accent I'd ever heard in my life. I looked down at my script so I wouldn't have to look into his eyes.

"_Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,_

_Which mannerly devotion shows in this,_

_For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,_

_And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss,_" I mumbled. Peeta put his fingers under my chin and lifted it to make me look at him.

"_Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?_"

"Um…_Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer._"

"_O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do._

_They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair._"

"_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake,_" I whispered.

"_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take._" He stopped and looked down at the script. "It says then that I'm supposed to kiss you, but I'm sure we don't have to do that until the actual performance. Um…_Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged._" I looked down, disappointed.

"_Then have my lips the sin that they have took,_" I said sadly.

"_Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!_

_Give me my sin again._ Oh, then I'm supposed to kiss you again. Well, again, not until the actual performance."

"_You kiss by th' book_." I shut my script and stood up. "I need to use the bathroom." I walked out the door and down the hall to the community bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, I looked at myself, pondering. Why didn't he want to kiss me? Did he like me? I splashed my face with cold water, and dried it off with a paper towel.

_No, he doesn't like you, Katniss_, I told myself. _If he did, he would've kissed you already. _I frowned and threw my paper towel away, then headed back to my room. Peeta was sitting on the bed still, skimming through his script.

"Do you wanna run through it again?" he asked me, grinning a half grin.

"No, I'm kind of tired, I think I'm going to take a nap," I told him firmly. His face fell for a moment, but he smiled softly again.

"Alright, I'll let you sleep. Just come knock on my door whenever you want to rehearse again, or maybe hang out. I'm upstairs, room 74." He waved as he went out the door, then shut it.

As soon as I was sure he was far enough away, I groaned and flopped down on my bed. I heard the door open, and I assumed it was Johanna, since she was the only one who also had a key to our room.

"I hate my life," I mumbled into my pillow.

"Why?" Johanna asked. I sat up and handed her my script. She skimmed it briefly. "_Romeo and Juliet?_ Yeah, I know, this is yours and Peeta's play."

"Look at the scene." She looked down again, and her eyes widened in shock.

"Isn't this the scene where they…?"

"Kiss? Yes. Twice."

"Did he kiss you when you rehearsed? Was he a bad kisser? Is that why you're upset?" She asked, sitting next to me on my bed.

"No, he didn't kiss me. That's why I'm upset," I mumbled.

"He's probably just nervous. He sat right next to you in class and picked you for a partner. He's obviously into you."

"You think so?"

"Of course." I smiled halfheartedly, but didn't really believe her.

"Thanks, Johanna. I guess I'll just see what happens."

"No problem." She leaned over and gave me a quick hug, then stood up and turned on our TV, flopping down on her bed. For the rest of the day, we watched movies, and ended up ordering a pizza for dinner. Haymitch, who was our Resident Assistant and lived upstairs on the boy's floor, made his nightly rounds, slugging back a bottle of dark liquid, which I suspected was some sort of alcohol. But we'd talked a few times when I'd seen him in the hallways and around campus, and he seemed alright. He was helpful when he wanted to be.

Peeta and I continued to rehearse every day after dinner, and I continued to give him the cold shoulder. I insisted on sitting on the other side of the room, which he seemed to not mind. I swear I thought him looking sadly out the window every now and then, but he'd look back at me and smile a quick grin every time I caught him. Pretty soon though, those sad looks were replaced with angry looks.

"Katniss, what hell is going on here?" he asked one day, standing up and throwing his script onto my desk. "You've been acting like you hate me since we started this project. What gives?" I glared at him and stood up too, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"That's none of your damn business."

"It is my business when you're my partner, and we're supposed to be acting like we're in love!"

"That's all we're doing, is acting. Once this project is over, we don't have to talk to each other again if you'd like," I spat.

"Why don't you wanna talk to me?" he asked.

"It doesn't matter." I walked to the door and went to grab the door knob, when his fingers closed around my wrist. He spun my around, so my back was against the door. He caged me in, his hands on either side of my head.

"Oh no, you're not avoiding me any longer. Tell me what is going on right now."


	3. Chapter 3

I glared at Peeta, then slipped out from under his arms and walked to the other side of the room.

"Get out." I mumbled.

"What?"  
>"I said get out!" I snapped, turning towards him. "We're done rehearsing. I'll see you in class tomorrow." He looked stunned momentarily, but finally, he picked up his bag and script and stormed out. The second the door closed, I slumped against the wall, my head in my hands. I'd probably just screwed up any chance I had with this boy. Why couldn't I be normal? This happened every time. Every time I started liking a boy, I got scared and pushed him away.<p>

I finally got up and decided to go to bed early. I changed and turned out the lights, climbing under the covers. Joanna came home soon after, while I was still awake.

"Katniss?" she whispered. "Are you up?"

"Unfortunately," I answered.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm not normal," I groaned into my pillow.

"Nobody's normal, Kat," she laughed.

"I mean when it comes to boys," I huffed, propping myself up on an elbow.

"Oh boy, what did you do to Peeta?" she teased, grinning.

"I've been giving him the cold shoulder while we rehearse, and finally he got pissed at me and asked what the hell I was doing, and I kicked him out."

"Why the hell did you do that?" Joanna cried.

"Because…" an image of my dad flashed into my mind. I saw him smiling, then I saw him leaving. And then I saw the casket. "Because every man I love leaves me."

"What do you mean?" I looked down at the floor, then sighed and sat up.

"When Prim was six, and I was ten, our Dad left. There was no warning. We just came home one day from school with Mom, and all his clothes and things were gone. Mom called him, asking where he'd gone, and he said he couldn't be with us anymore, that he couldn't be the husband and father that he needed to be. Then, about a month later, a police officer showed up at our door, and told us that Dad had been hit and killed by a drunk driver. Mom was devastated. I was too; I was a Daddy's girl growing up. Mom went into total zombie-mode. She wouldn't get out of bed. She wouldn't eat, she wouldn't do anything. I had to take care of Prim and myself. I made our lunches, I got us on the school bus list, I made sure she did her homework, I bathed her and put her to bed. I practically raised her for two years. I finally got mom to snap out of it, but it took forever." When I looked up, I felt tears run down my cheeks; I didn't even realize I'd been crying. "Dad left me. He left Mom. He left Prim. And then he died. I had to take care of Mom, Prim, and myself. I was ten! How in the world is that fair? He hurt me to the point of breaking. I can't love anyone like I loved him, because I gave him love, and he threw it all away."

Joanna was silent for a few minutes. Then she grabbed the box of tissues off her desk and handed them to me, sitting next to me on my bed. I wiped my face and blew my nose, trying not to cry anymore.

"Katniss, what you've got to realize, is that while sometimes all men seem the same, they're not all the same as well. I've seen the way Peeta looks at you when you guys hang out, and I can see it in his eyes that he'd never hurt you, or let anyone else hurt you for that matter. He cares about you, whether it is on a friend basis or a romantic basis, I have no idea. But I do know he cares about you. You have to let him in and let him show you he's not like your Dad. Let him show you that he won't leave you. Let him show you that he's different."

I bit my lip, thinking about what Joanna said. A lot of what she said made sense. I was scared of getting hurt, but I'd never know if I was going to be hurt if I never tried.

"Alright," I said quietly, nodding. "I'll try."

"Yay!" Joanna cried, leaning over and hugging me. "When do you see him next?"

"Tomorrow. We're performing the scene in class."

"Perfect! You have to look nice, and when you do the kissing scene, you've got to figure out a way to make him understand that you're giving him a chance without announcing it to the whole class, or breaking character."

"How do I do that?"

"Hell if I know!" Joanna laughed. "That's for you to figure out. Now, show me your dresses, I'll pick the perfect one for you." I led her into my closet and showed her the hanging dresses. She skimmed through before finally plucking out a soft yellow sundress. "This is the one!" I laughed at her eagerness. We spent the rest of the night picking out my shoes and some jewelry, then hit the sack around midnight.

The next morning, I got dressed in my yellow sundress, a small pair of heels, and wore my hair in waves. Satisfied with my look, I grabbed my orange backpack and headed to class. When I got there, Peeta was nowhere to be found. The other kids were there though, practicing their lines in hushed voices with one another. Joanna walked in behind me in a simple black dress, as she was playing the nurse who would interrupt us at the end. She winked at me and gestured for me to follow her to our seats. Peeta walked in a moment later in a dark blue suit. He saw me, and stopped for a minute. I smiled softly and waved a little, and he grinned back. He came over and sat down next to me.

"Katniss, I…"

"Good morning, students!" Effie cried as she walked into the room.

"Good morning, Effie," we all replied. I turned to Peeta and squeezed his hand, whispering in his ear. "We'll talk later." He nodded and smiled.

"Alright, today's the day for presentations! I'll be picking you all at random, so let's get started. Cashmere, Gloss, you first!" The brother and sister duo got up and performed a scene from Hamlet, which was kind of creepy because they were playing each other's love interests. It seemed to drag on and on, and Peeta and I still hadn't been called.

"We have time for one more scene, so let's see…Peeta, Katniss, and Joanna!" We got up and walked to the stage in front of the class.

"We will be performing Act One, Scene Five from _Romeo and Juliet_," Joanna said, introducing our presentation. Then, she went to the side of the stage to wait for her cue. Peeta stood a few feet away, while I stood center stage, pretending to talk to someone. Peeta walked up to me and took my hand, pulling me towards him and around.

"_If I profane with my unworthiest hand_

_This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this:_

_My lips_, _two blushing pilgrims, ready stand_

_To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss_," he said smoothly, running his other hand across our two intertwined hands. I looked up into his eyes, my mouth hanging open just a little.

"_Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much,_

_Which mannerly devotion shows in this,_

_For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch,_

_And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss_," I replied in a soft, teasing tone.

"_Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?_" Peeta asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"_Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer,_" I said to him, acting like I was talking to a small child.

"_O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do._

_They pray; grant thou, lest faith turn to despair,_" Peeta pleaded, stepping closer.

"_Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake,_" I whispered, looking into his eyes.

"_Then move not, while my prayer's effect I take,_" he whispered back, leaning in. As he moved in, our heads moved to the side, and right before he kissed me, I whispered so softly that only he could hear me.

"I trust you." Peeta smiled briefly, then leaned in and kissed me softly. I felt a million fireworks go off in my head as he softly moved his mouth against mine. He brought his hand up, tilting my chin up with his thumb. I felt his tongue briefly touch my lips, and before it could get any better, Joanna coughed, loudly I might add. We broke apart, our foreheads resting together.

"_Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purged_," Peeta sighed, smiling.

"_Then have my lips the sin that they have took_," I half giggled, half pleaded.

"_Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged!_

_Give me my sin again_," Peeta laughed. Then he grabbed my face with both hands and pulled me in for a much more heated kiss. I placed my hands on his shoulders, and he softly stroked my cheek with his thumb. We broke apart after Joanna coughed, again.

"_You kiss by th' book,_" I said, smiling. Joanna then ran up to us.

"_Madam, your mother craves a word with you,_" she said. Then she turned towards Effie. "Scene!"

"Wonderful! Just wonderful!" Effie cried, clapping. "Peeta, Katniss, you two were made for the stage, you're wonderful actors! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two were dating!" She giggled, and I felt Peeta squeeze my hip. "Well, class is dismissed. I'll see you all soon!" We grabbed our bags, and Joanna waved at me as she headed out to her next class.

"You, uh, wanna go to my room? Maybe watch a movie?" Peeta asked softly, taking my hand and pulling me towards him, his other hand going to my hip. I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes, and slowly nodded. He grinned and leaned down, giving me a quick kiss. "Awesome, let's go."


	4. Chapter 4

Peeta and I stopped by my room first so I could change into something more comfortable, then went to his room upstairs. He flicked on the light, and I took in my surroundings as he dropped his bag and stepped into the closet to change.

Peeta had been lucky enough to get a room to himself, so it was all decorated in his stuff. A burnt orange rug was on the ground by his bed, which had a sunset colored bedspread and pillows. He had various posters of famous paintings all over the walls, plus a few family photos and pictures of motorcycles torn out of magazines. He had a small tv set up on a stand across from his bed with a DVD/VCR player hooked up to it. Above that was a hovering bookcase, stacked with various movies and books, one collection being the Harry Potter movies and books I noticed. He had firey curtains on rods on the closet doorway. By the door was a mini fridge, and a microwave on top. Next to his bed, across from the curtains, was his desk, which I noticed was stacked with a few textbooks, some printed papers, a laptop, an art canvas, and a paint kit.

"You like to paint?" I asked, my back to the closet.

"Yeah, I do." I jumped and turned around; Peeta had apparently been right behind me, and I almost fell over. He quickly grabbed my hand and pulled me up, steady. He pulled me close to him as a matter of fact. His other hand had somehow managed to land on my lower back, and he was staring into my eyes. I gulped nervously and took a small step back.

"Um, thanks," I whispered, tucking a lose strand of hair behind my ear. He smiled softly at me.

"No problem." I took in his outfit as he turned around and started setting up the TV and DVD player. He was wearing a black v-neck tshirt and blue basketball shorts. His wavy blonde hair was tousled a bit, and when he turned and caught me staring, his blue eyes twinkled and he winked. "You wanna pick the movie, Katniss?"

"Sure." I smiled gratefully at him and stepped over to the collection, skimming the titles. I plucked "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" from the shelf. "This one is my favorite," I told him as I handed him the case. He grinned, his teeth showing.

"Mine too." He popped the DVD in, then went over to the microwave and pulled a bag of popcorn from the basket by the fridge. "Popcorn?"

"Yes, please." Once the title menu showed up, the popcorn was ready. Peeta hit play, then gestured to the bed for me to sit. He flicked on the lamp on his desk, then turned off the main light before joining me on the bed. He grabbed the remote off the window ledge and pressed 'play.'

"I get chills every time I see the Warner Brothers logo," Peeta whispered as it appeared. I giggled softly and took a handful of popcorn. We watched Harry do his homework in his room by the light of his wand, and quoted various parts of the movie as it went on. We laughed at things Ron said, and I fist pumped a "hell yeah!" when Hermione punched Malfoy in the face.

"Hermione your hero?" Peeta laughed, poking me in the side.

"You have no idea how much I love Emma Watson," I told him seriously. He looked at the dead-ass serious expression on my face and burst out laughing. "What's so funny?" I fumed.

"Nothing," he chuckled, shaking his head. "You're just too damn cute." I blushed, and he laughed again, putting his arm around my shoulders, pulling me back against his chest. "Come on, let's watch them save Sirius," he whispered, nodding towards the tv. I settled into his arms and against his chest, and we watched the rest of the movie in comfortable silence. When it ended, Peeta pressed the 'eject' button on the remote and got up to put the movie away. He clapped his hands together, and turned around, smiling.

"Let's go out," he exclaimed. I looked at him, confused.

"What?"

"Let's go out, have some fun. I'll take you to dinner, and we'll do something fun, like mini golf or whatever."

"You're not just trying to get into my pants? You actually want to take me out on a date?" I asked, a hint of surprise in my voice. Peeta walked over and crouched down in front of me, taking my hands in his.

"Of course not, Katniss," he said. "Why do you think every day we rehearsed, I tried to get you closer to me, tried to get you to kiss me on the first rehearsal, tried to get you to look at me, got so upset when you wouldn't?" I shrugged, and he laughed lightly. "I've liked you since the day I saw you, Katniss."

"That day in the cafeteria?" He looked at me, confused, then realization hit his eyes.

"You don't remember, do you?" he said quietly.

"Remember what?" I thought for a second. "When you gave me bread from your bakery? I remember that. Are you saying since then?"

"No," he grinned, shaking his head. "It goes back farther than that, sweetheart." He stood up and pulled me with him. "Come on, I'll explain to you at dinner. Why don't you go downstairs and get changed, and I'll meet you down there in say, 15 minutes?" I nodded and smiled.

"Okay." He gave me a quick kiss, then pushed me towards the door.

"Go, I'm excited now," he laughed. "I'll see you down there." I laughed and waved at him as I shut the door behind myself. Then I ran down the stairs and to my room, almost tripping in the process. Once I burst into my room, Joanna jumped up from the bed, looking startled, wielding her axe.

"Oh, Katniss, it's just you," she sighed, setting down the axe. "Sorry, I fell asleep, thought someone was attacking me in my sleep." Then she seemed to notice I was running around the room, throwing clothes all over the place. "Something going on?"

"I have a date with Peeta, and I have no idea what to wear!" I cried. She laughed and grabbed my hand, pulling me into the closet.

"Let me help you." She skimmed through my clothes and talked at the same time. "What are you all doing?"

"He said dinner and something fun, like mini-golf," I told her.

"Did he say where for dinner?"

"No, he didn't." Joanna 'hmm'ed to herself, still skimming. "His favorite color is orange I think. He had a lot of orange stuff in his room." She pulled out a pair of nice blue jeans, a frilly orange tank top, and a pair of strappy high heels from the floor. "Here. Now get dressed quickly, and we may have time to do your makeup." I stepped over to my bed and quickly threw off my pajamas and stepped into the date outfit. Before I'd even finished putting on my shoes, Joanna had dumped an armload of makeup supplies onto my desk. She applied a quick dusting of powder, swiped some lip-gloss and blush on, and then put a soft orange eye-shadow on my lids. She brushed my hair, then put it in the braid she knew I liked. She clipped a silver butterfly hairclip on the end of it.

"There, you're done!" she said, standing back to admire her work. Just then, there was a knock on the door, and she smiled. "Coming!" She opened the door, and Peeta stood there in a dark green dress shirt, dark jeans, and a nice pair of shoes.

"Hey, Joanna," he grinned. "May I come in?"

"Of course," she said, opening the door wider. He stepped in, and he saw me sitting in my desk chair. He walked over and pulled me up by my hand, kissing it.

"You look beautiful," he grinned. He took in my outfit and smiled bigger. "And you're wearing my favorite color."

"And you're wearing mine." He smiled again, then offered me his arm.

"Shall we?"

"We shall." I took his arm, and smiled at Joanna. "Thanks for your help, Jo," I told her.

"No problem. You kids have fun," she said playfully, winking at me. I rolled my eyes and grabbed my keys and purse off our makeshift coat rack by the door.

"I'll see you later," I told her as she started shutting the door.

"See you." She closed it with a snap, and Peeta and I walked outside. He led me to his car, a red Toyota Solara. He opened and closed my door for me, and held my hand as we drove to the restaurant.

We ended up at the local pizza place in downtown Panem, and ate pizza and chicken wings, trading stories and laughing at each other. Once he'd paid, he took my hand again and asked me if I'd like to go for a walk in the park. I, of course, said yes; he could've asked me if I wanted to go skydiving and I would've said yes. We walked down the street to the park, and held hands as we strolled through the park's various paths.

"So, are you going to tell me the story of how you came to like me, or am I going to have to prod you for it?" I teased. He laughed, then pulled me towards the bench up ahead.

"Katniss," he started out slowly. "We actually went to the same elementary, middle, and high school."

"We did?" I asked, shocked. "How come I never saw you?"

"I kept to myself a lot, tried to keep quiet in the back of the room, stay out of trouble," he explained. "But I remember, when we were in third grade, the teacher asked who knew the valley song, and your hand shot straight up in the air. You sang it for us, and I thought your voice was beautiful. The next encounter we had was in middle school, when I gave you the bread outside the bakery that night. I saw you coming through the window, and purposely burned the bread so I could go out back and see you. I remember our freshmen year of high school, I saw you in the field…"

"Of dandelions," I whispered. It all came rushing back to me. I remember that day so clearly. I was walking home with Gale, and we were cutting through the field of dandelions by the school – a shortcut of sorts. I picked up a dandelion and smelled it, and tucked it into my braid. I remember looking up and seeing a group of boys, one with blonde hair, walking towards us. I had gotten nervous and quickly walked off with Gale, but I had thought the boy with the blonde hair looked nice.

"Of dandelions," he said, nodding and smiling. "You picked a flower and sniffed it, and tucked it into your braid, at the bottom by your ponytail holder. You looked up, and I thought you had the most beautiful face." As he talked, he stroked my knuckles with his thumb. He looked up into my eyes, and smiled softly. "I've liked you for a very long time, Katniss. And I'm just very glad that you fell into me that day in the cafeteria." He leaned in towards me, and I felt my breath catch in my throat. He slowly kissed me, his warm lips brushing over mine. I sighed and leaned into the kiss; his kisses were like liquid fire – they were hot, but beautiful and slow at the same time. After a long minute, he pulled back and rested his forehead against mine.

"Will you stay with me tonight, Katniss? Just for a little bit?" he whispered. I nodded, and I could feel his grin against my cheek. "Come on, let's go." He pulled me up and we walked back to the car, his hand resting on my leg. On the way back, I texted Joanna that I was spending the night with Peeta – she texted back a dozen smiley faces. Once we were back, I stopped by my room, said hello to Joanna, and grabbed my pj's and toothbrush. Peeta and I changed into our pj's, and he led me to the boy's bathroom so I could brush my teeth. Once we were both done with our nightly preparations, he crawled into bed and patted the spot next to him, encouraging me to lay down. I slowly slid in between the sheets, and he covered us both, wrapping an arm around my waist. As he kissed me goodnight, soft and slow, he whispered against my lips

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to just hold you."


	5. Chapter 5

Peeta was the best boyfriend I could've asked for. Well, I mean, I'd never really had a boyfriend before, but when I pictured having one, Peeta was that man and more. He spent any free moments he could with me, walked me to class when he could, ate meals with me in the cafeteria, studied with me, spent nights with me when Johanna either went home for the weekends or was too drunk to care. Most of the time she didn't care anyway, but Peeta didn't wanna impose.

It was finals week, which meant Peeta and I had been going out for months, and we were super stressed. But, finally, they were over, and we all passed, so Peeta, Finnick, who I later found out was Peeta's roommate, Johanna, and I went out to the bar downtown to celebrate. Peeta and I agreed to be the designated drivers, since Finnick and I were in one car because our class got out later, and Peeta and Johanna got there before us.

"Do you see them?" I asked Finnick as we walked in, shouting over the music. He was taller than me, so he peered around, looking over the people, and smiled.

"They're at the bar." He squeezed our way through the people and sidled up next to them.

"Hey guys," Johanna said, turning to us, a martini in hand. Peeta turned and gave me a quick kiss, a glass of water in his hand. I smiled at him and grabbed a water myself, while Finnick grabbed a beer. We talked about the finals, what our plans were for winter break, and what we'd be taking next year. Finnick was excited to see his girlfriend back home, Annie, who'd be attending Panem University in the spring. Johanna was hoping her parents would get her a new axe for Christmas. Peeta knew his parents were going to make him help in the bakery over the break, something he was kind of looking forward to, because they usually put him on decorating the cakes. I was just hoping my mom wouldn't be a zombie during the break. We danced for a little bit, and soon, Johanna was drunk off her ass, hitting on anything that walked and was male, but Finnick was just buzzed.

"Woo!" Johanna cried, standing up on a chair and swinging her jacket around.

"Why don't I take her back? You guys follow okay? I think she's had enough for tonight," Peeta said in my ear. I agreed and relayed the plan to Finnick. He'd left his bag in my car, so that worked out ride wise. Peeta grabbed Johanna off the chair and somehow convinced her to the car, buckled her in, and started driving back to the dorms. Finnick and I soon followed. We were stopped at a red light when Finnick asked me if he could put on the radio.

"Sure. Here, let me get it, it gets stuck sometimes." I reached down and fiddled with the knob, finally getting it to click on, and the new Taylor Swift came through the radio.

"Kat, green light," Finnick said, pointing. I thanked him and eased forward. Peeta was already in the middle of the intersection.

_HHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!_

A truck smashed into the driver's side of Peeta's car, flipping it over and causing it to tumble across the street before it smashed into a tree.

"Oh my God! Johanna! PEETA!" I threw the car in park before rushing over to the car. It was upside down, leaning against the tree.

"Peeta? Johanna? Talk to me, are you okay?" I cried, squatting down and peering through the windows. Joanna and Peeta were both passed out. They had glass all over their clothes, and gashes on their heads, faces, and necks. Peeta's head wound was deep and bloody.

"Finnick? Finnick!" I turned around to see him running over, cell phone in hand. "Finnick, call 911! We have to get them help! We have to...we have to…" And that's when I passed out.

_Beep…...beep…...beep…...beep_

I woke up in the hospital, a few wires and tubes stuck in my arm. Finnick was sitting in the corner, playing on his phone.

"Hey," I croaked. He looked up and quickly put his phone away.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked, scooting over to me in a chair.

"Okay, I guess," I said meekly, sitting up. "What happened to me?"

"They said you passed out from the shock of the crash, but they just wanted to make sure," Finnick said. "Let me go get your doctor so you can be released."

"But, Finnick, what about…" but he was already out the door. I looked around, tapping my fingers against my thigh, impatient. Finally, after five minutes, Finnick returned with my doctor, a middle aged black man. He checked my vitals, then told me I was free to go.

"What happened to Peeta and Johanna though?" I asked him as he bandaged my needle marks. He looked at Finnick, who nodded.

"I'll tell her," he said. The doctor nodded, and left so I could change. I quickly threw on my shirt and jeans, pulling my jacket over my arms and on.

"What's going on, Finnick?" I asked him as I put on and tied up my boots.

"Katniss," he sighed, sitting next to me on the bed. "As you know, Peeta and Johanna were in a car accident. A drunk driver ran a red light and hit them. He was going 60 in a 45."

"I don't care about him!" I cried, grabbing my hair and braiding it. "Are Peeta and Johanna okay?"

"I don't know," he said quietly. I looked at him in disbelief. "I'm serious. They told me to stay with you while they took them into surgery. They said once you woke up to come to the surgery recovery ward, and they'd help us."

"Well, let's go then!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him out into the hallway, following the signs. Finally, we reached the receptionist for the surgery recovery ward.

"Can I help you?" A lady with fading blonde curls asked.

"We're looking for Johanna Mason and Peeta Mellark."

"I'm the doctor who performed the surgery," an elderly but fit gentleman said, coming forward. He extended a hand. "I'm Doctor Franklin. You must be Katniss and Finnick. Johanna's been asking for you."

"Is she okay?" we asked, following him down the hallway to her room.

"Yes," he said. "She had a gash in her head, so we had to shave her hair away so we could stitch it up, but there appears to be no brain damage, according to her CAT scans we had done on her afterwards. The other cuts are bandaged up, and she had a minor sprain of her wrist and ankle, but other than that, she's fine."

"So Peeta got the heavy hit of it?" Finnick asked. Doctor Franklin stopped walking, and sighed.

"Yes, Peeta got the heavy hit of the accident," he said, walking again, although much slower. "Peeta...Peeta has had some brain damage."

"WHAT?" I cried.

"A shard of glass cut his head open, almost to the bone, so we stitched that up, but when the car rolled, he must've hit his head against the dashboard or steering wheel, because it bruised his brain, and caused it to bounce off his skull and swell. The glass almost took a chunk of brain matter it was so far in. He may have some memory loss from this, but as of now, he's resting. He also broke his leg, it was completely shattered. We almost had to remove it, but we luckily were able to repair the damage with rods and pins."

"Where...where is he?" I asked, swallowing hard.

"They're in rooms three and four." Joanna was up and demanding to know where we were.

"Hey, there you two are," she fumed. "These idiots didn't know where you were and couldn't tell me shit."

"It's okay," I told her, coming over to her bed. "They checked me out because I passed out, but I was fine."

"That's good. When do I get to go home?" she asked Doctor Franklin.

"Tomorrow morning, as long as nothing happens overnight."

"Ugh, fine," she sighed, folding her arms over her chest and throwing herself back against the bed.

"We're gonna go check on Peeta, okay?" Finnick told her.

"Can I go with them?" she asked Doctor Franklin. He thought about it for a moment before finally nodding and instructing a nurse to set up a mobile IV for her. Once Joanna was up and able to move with the rolling IV, we went next door into Peeta's room. I gasped as we walked in, my hands flying to my mouth. The entire area above his eyes and around his head was wrapped in bandages. His leg was in a cast and elevated, and he had little patches of bandages here and there on his skin. I walked over to his bed, touching his face gently.

"Oh, Peeta," I whispered, brushing his cheek. He started to stir, and I backed up a step. "Doctor Franklin, he's waking up." He came over and waited on the other side of me. Peeta slowly opened his eyes and looked around.

"Peeta? You okay man?" Finnick asked.

"I think so," Peeta croaked. "My head hurts like a bitch though." He looked at everyone standing around the bed. His eyes stopped on Doctor Franklin and me. "Who are you?"

"I'm your doctor, Doctor Franklin," he said, smiling gently. "You were in a car accident."

"No, I figured you were the doctor, and I remember the accident," Peeta said. He pointed at me and asked.

"Who is she?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Katniss, are you ok?"

_No, not really._

"Katniss, are you going to talk to us?"

_Probably not._

"Dammit, Katniss, say something!"

_No._

When Peeta said he didn't remember me, the whole room had fallen silent. I had turned and ran down the hallway to the waiting room, collapsed on the floor, and started screaming and crying. Finnick and Joanna followed me, and tried desperately to get me off the floor. A team of doctors had to come and escort me to a room, eventually sedating me. The next morning, they let Finnick, Joanna, and me go home, and they kept pestering me with questions, but I remained mute.

I was in shock, in my own head, trying to make sense of it all. Out of all the things to happen to Peeta, why did he have to get injured so badly that he forgot me? Why? _Why?_

Gale, my mom, and Prim came to pick me up from school for winter break a few days later, and of course they also bombarded me with questions. I tried dismissing them as best I could, until eventually I broke down, crying. Gale hugged me and rubbed my back, and my mom and Prim decided to go to the cafeteria a little bit with Joanna and Finnick while he attempted to calm me down.

"Katnip, it'll be okay," he whispered to me softly. He stroked my cheek and hair, and carefully sat down with me on my bed.

"He doesn't remember me, Gale," I choked out. "The doctors are working on him with physical therapy, and therapy in general, but all that seems to be working is the physical part." I looked up at Gale, his eyes so much like my own; deep, hard, and worried. "Gale, I…"

"Shh," he whispered. He leaned down and kissed me. I was momentarily shocked, but kissed him back a little bit. It felt like I was cheating on Peeta, but if he didn't remember our relationship, what was the point?

We broke apart, Gale sighing heavily.

"Katniss, there's something I…"

"Hey, Katniss, I...oh, sorry!" Joanna said, coming into the room, but seeing how close Gale and I were, attempted to back out.

"No, it's okay, we're leaving anyway," I told her, standing up. Gale looked at me, hurt in his eyes, but nodded once and followed me out the door. "Have a good break, Joanna. I'll see you next semester?"

"Of course," she said, smiling gently. She squeezed my shoulder and looked into my eyes. "You take care, alright?" I nodded, then turned and left for the cafeteria, Gale following close behind.

"Katniss, can we talk for a second?" he asked.

"I guess," I told him dismissively. "But make it quick, we gotta find my mom and Prim."

"You know why I kissed you right?"

"To make me stop talking?" I asked, turning to look at him briefly as we walked.

"No, Katniss, that's not why," he grumbled. He stepped in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. "Katniss, I…" He took a deep breath and swallowed. "I love you." I looked at him, wide-eyed, and took a small step back.

"Wh-what?" I stuttered.

"Katniss, I've loved you for a while now," he said. "I started crushing on you in middle school, and as time went on, it slowly grew into love. I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'm sorry if this freaks you out, or scares you, but I had to tell you." He looked at me, a little bit of hope in his eyes.

"Gale, I...I can't do this right now," I told him, stepping around him and walking again.

"Katniss, come on! I'm sorry, I probably came on too strong, but you gotta admit, I'm a good fit for you!"

"Gale, I can admit that, yes," I told him firmly, grabbing the door handle to the cafeteria. "You're my best friend. But right now, so soon after all of this, the accident with Peeta and him not remembering me, I can't jump into another relationship. I'm sorry." I walked into the cafeteria, a defeated Gale slowly trudging behind me.

"Hey, you guys ready to go?" I asked, walking up to my mom, Prim, and Finnick's table.

"Sure," my mom said, finishing her coffee. "So Prim and I will follow you and…"

"No, I'll take Prim," I told her quickly as Gale made his way to the table. "I haven't seen her in forever, and I'd like to catch up." I smiled at her, and she smiled back.

"Alright," my mom said, noticing Gale's hurt expression. "Well, Finnick, it was lovely meeting you," she said, turning to him.

"You too, Mrs. Everdeen," he said, shaking her hand. He stood up and hugged me.

"I'll see you next semester, Katniss," he said, pulling back and smiling. "Text me okay? I'm just the next town over if you need me."

"I will." He smiled at all of us one last time before heading out of the cafeteria with Annie, who had come to pick him up for break. We all went out the opposite door, heading towards our cars. Prim and I got into mine, and Gale got into my mom's SUV with her.

Prim and I talked mostly about her schooling was going, if she enjoyed her classes, what she was learning, if she'd made any friends, the latter. She told me she was taking up nursing, and she was the top of her class in the program. She'd even gotten to work with the school nurse a couple times.

When we arrived home, my mom decided to cook us dinner while Prim, Gale, and I watched TV. We watched some teen show Prim was currently into, and I just enjoyed her company while Gale sat on the other side of the couch.

My phone suddenly rang out, and Prim paused the TV while I answered the strange number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Katniss Everdeen?"

"This is."

"Hi, Katniss, it's Doctor Franklin, Peeta's doctor," he said. I gulped but nodded to myself. "How are you?"

"I'm okay, and you?"

"Good, thank you. Listen, I have a favor to ask of you," he started. "Peeta is having trouble with his amnesia. Do you think you could come to the hospital, maybe bring some things that mean a lot to you and Peeta, and help us with his therapy? We think if he sees things, it might bring back memories."

"Um," I looked at my mom, who had walked into the room. "Mom, how long did you say until dinner would be ready?"

"About an hour," she said. "The soup is still cooking."

"How long will his therapy take?" I asked Doctor Franklin.

"Not long, I imagine. You should be back in time for dinner. It all just depends on how well he responds."

"Alright, I'll be there in fifteen minutes," I said. "Do I just come in the main entrance?"

"Yes, just ask the receptionist for me, and I'll come down to meet you once she pages me."

"Okay, I'll see you soon then." I hung up, then looked around at my family and Gale. "They need me to come to the hospital to help with Peeta's therapy."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Gale asked. I quickly shook my head.

"No, thank you though," I told him. "This is something I have to try and do by myself."

"Alright, well, you be careful," my mom told me. "Call me when you leave the hospital, okay?"

"I will, Mom," I said, standing up to hug her. I gave Prim a hug too, told her I loved her, and waved to Gale before I went upstairs to my room. I grabbed a couple things out of my suitcase, put them in my purse, then left for the hospital. I got there and parked, then went in and asked for Doctor Franklin. He came down after a few minutes and led me upstairs to the therapy rooms.

"How's he doing?" I asked.

"Well, his physical therapy is going well," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "He's able to walk with his crutches, and his leg is healing well. We should be able to take if off in a few weeks or so."

"So in other words, his body is fine, but not his mind," I said.

"Correct," he nodded. We got off the elevator, and he led me down the hall to a room with physical exercise equipment in it, along with a couple tables and chairs, and a TV. "Now, you'll be doing most of the talking with him. Ask him questions, see what you can get out of him. We'll be right there though, the nurse and I. Just look to us if you need help." I nodded, and he opened the door for me. Peeta was sitting at one of the tables with a nurse, just talking.

"Nurse Hayes, this is Katniss," Doctor Franklin said, introducing me to the sandy haired woman. She smiled and shook my hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said. I smiled back and looked at Peeta. He was looking at me, a small smile on his face. Well, at least he hadn't lost his personality.

"We'll be sitting right here, okay?" Doctor Franklin said. Peeta looked a little confused, and Doctor Franklin turned to him. "Remember Peeta, Nurse Hayes said you'd be talking to the girl from your accident who was with Finnick?"

"Oh yeah, right," Peeta said, nodding. Nurse Hayes got up and gestured for me to sit in it. I sat down and smiled as they sat in the opposite chairs. Then I turned to Peeta.

"Hi, Peeta," I said slowly.

"Hi...Katniss, right?" he asked. "They said that was your name."

"Yes, that's me," I told him. "Do you remember me?"

"I remember you from the other room in the hospital," Peeta said. "You ran out when I asked you who you were."

"Do you know why I did that?"

"No," he said slowly. "They said you were my friend, and you were hurt that I don't remember you, but I don't remember much."

"That's okay, Peeta," I said, Doctor Franklin nodding at what I was saying, silently telling me to keep going. "Let me ask you, what do you remember from when you were a kid?"

"I remember my parents," he said. "And my brothers. I'm the youngest. My mom and dad run a bakery, and they let me decorate the cakes. I went to Panem Elementary. There was…." He stopped, a confused look in his eyes.

"What, Peeta? What was there?" I asked him slowly.

"There was a girl in my class," he said, his voice slow as he pieced his words together. "Our teacher...Miss...Perry….asked us if we knew the valley song." I nodded encouragingly. "This girl in the front with a braid, she raised her hand immediately. She stood up and sang it for us. She had the prettiest singing voice." He looked off dreamily. He slowly turned his head, looking at me. "Do you know the valley song, Katniss?"

"I do," I nodded.

"Could you sing it for me?"

"Um," I looked at Doctor Franklin, and he nodded. "Sure." I took a deep breath, then began to sing. As I sang, Peeta's eyes glazed over, then he looked confused, and then shocked. As I finished, he whispered something.

"What did you say, Peeta?" I asked him gently.

"It was you," he said quietly. "You sang the song. You were in my class."

"I was," I said, smiling excitedly. "And it was me."

"Good job, Peeta, you're remembering," Nurse Hayes told him.

"Do you remember anything else?" I asked him.

"You...you took bread from me once when I burned it right?" he asked.

"Yes, you gave it to me because I was hungry."

"And I saw you pick a dandelion once. On the way home from school." I nodded. "Your favorite color….is green?"

"And yours is orange," I told him. He looked at me, confused.

"Not bright. Soft, like the sunset." He closes his eyes and nods. "You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces." I stood up and walked away before he could see my tears.

"Katniss, are you okay?" Doctor Franklin asked, following me out.

"I can't stand it," I cried, turning to him. "I love him, and he doesn't remember anything about our relationship, other than our childhood."

"Then show him what you brought," he said firmly, nodding at my bag. I looked down at it in my hand, forgetting I'd brought it. I nodded and followed him back in.

"Are you okay, Katniss?" Peeta asked. I smiled softly and nodded.

"Yes, thank you, Peeta." I took out the orange shirt from my bag. "Do you remember this shirt?"

"No," Peeta said, shaking his head. "Should I?" he asked, looking at me.

"Never mind, let's keep going," I said. I pulled out our script from class. "What about this?"

"No." I was getting frustrated.

"This?" The now dried rose he gave me on our anniversary. He shook his head.

"What about this?" The Harry Potter DVD we watched. Another head shake.

"Peeta, come on!" I cried. He looked startled, as did Doctor Franklin and Nurse Hayes. I pulled out a handful of pictures and began showing them to him. "You mean to tell me you don't remember our first date?" I showed him a picture of us kissing under a streetlight at the park. "Or that you gave me my first kiss? Or studying together for finals? Or our first month anniversary, when you gave me this rose? Or going out to dinner together? All the nights I spent cuddled in your arms? Joanna making kissy faces in all the pictures we took with her to make fun of us? Finnick flirting with me until he realized I was your girlfriend?" Picture after picture after picture. I threw them on the table, tears streaming down my face. "You can't tell me you don't remember how much you loved me! You can't not love me anymore, Peeta! I love you, dammit! I love you Peeta Mellark!" He looked at me, his mouth hanging open a little. I finally got up and shoved everything into my bag.

"Katniss, wait," Doctor Franklin said. I ignored him and went to the elevator. I got in, and once the doors closed, I slid down the wall, crying.


End file.
